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Gender And Incongruity Between Educational Expectations And College Enrollment: The Roles Of Race, Social Class, And Significant Others, Ryan S. Wells, Tricia A. Seifert, Daniel B. Saunders

Ryan S. Wells

Gender gaps in educational expectations and postsecondary enrollment are well studied, but few scholars have investigated the incongruity between expectations and enrollment decisions and even fewer have examined this incongruity by gender. Using thirty-five years of data, this study examines the differential influences of social origin and significant others on this incongruity for men and women. It also investigates how differences in these characteristics contribute to the overall incongruity gender gap—the difference between the proportion of men and proportion of women who do not enroll in ways that match their expectations. Results show trends in the incongruity gender gap over …